Scores on the Doors - How to Get Five Stars
How Can I Achieve a 5 Star Rating?
In order to achieve a 5 Star Rating on a food hygiene inspection, you must demonstrate very high standards of food safety management and be compliant with food safety legislation. The aim is to have no or only very minor contraventions at any 5 Star rated premises.
(The scoring system allows for very minor contraventions)
5 Stars are awarded to food businesses that achieve a total score of between 0 and 5 for the three separate elements of
- Hygiene
- Structure, and
- Management
The inspecting officer gives scores for each of the three separate elements, and scoring is in accordance with the Food Law Code of Practice.
If you are a new business, you must register your business with the local authority, (North Devon Council) an inspector will then visit you to carry out a Primary Inspection, usually within 28 days of receiving your form. Your premises will be risk rated at the end of the inspection and therefore given a star rating at this inspection. You are therefore advised to ensure that your premises fully meet the requirements of the Food Legislation in readiness for this visit.
If you are an existing business you will already have had an inspection by an officer on a previous occasion. If you were sent an informal notice, (with a schedule of works) following that last inspection you must ensure that the works required of you on the informal notice have all been completed. Failure to attend to matters, which were previously drawn to your attention, will result in low Star Rating being awarded.
If everything was satisfactory at your previous inspection, then you must ensure that the standards have been maintained and that no contraventions have arisen since that time.
Prior to 1st January 2006, there was no legal requirement to provide a documented food safety management system, (Food Hazard Analysis or HACCP document). Therefore if your last inspection was before this date you may not have been required to provide such a document at that time. In order to achieve 5 Stars, you will need to provide such a document at your next inspection.
A free pack called Safer Food Better Business is available for Caterers and Retailers, from the
Food Standards Agency on 0845 606 0667.
Safer Food Better Business is a pack that you can use to document your food safety management system. It is not the only way to document your food safety management system. You may choose whatever type of system you like. A fully documented system will be required by the officer at the time of the inspection and the officer will need to verify that you are complying in practice with your own documented system, in order to a low risk score and therefore a high star rating in the Confidence in Management/Control Systems Category.
In order to gain low risk scores and therefore high star ratings in the
Hygiene section of the scoring, you must be as fully compliant with the following aspects of Regulations (EC) 852/2004.
- Personal Hygiene- Protective clothing, smoking, jewellery, personal cleanliness and fitness to work
- Water Supply- Mains or if Private supply treatment and testing. Ice
- Food Storage- Systems, stock rotation, allergens, product instructions, temperature controlled storage
- Separation High Risk Foods-system, evidence
- Pest Control- Exclusion of pets, Pest proofing, monitoring and control
- Food Hygiene Training – Food handlers trained in food hygiene matters suitable for their work activity
And in the
Structure section:
- Design- Space/size, separation, workflow
- Walls/Floors/Ceilings- Type, suitability, repair, and cleanliness
- Ventilation- Natural, mechanical, cleanliness
- Lighting- Type, diffuser
- Equipment in Contact with Food-Cleanliness, condition
- Washing Facilities- food, equipment
- Hand Washing Facilities- Adequacy, accessibility, Hot & Cold, mixed running water, soap, drying facilities
- Waste Storage/disposal- Inside, outside, disposal contract
- Staff Changing Facilities- Availability, adequacy, cleanliness
- Transport/containers- Suitable arrangements
- Toilets- Separation from food room, wash hand basin, cleanliness, ventilation
Only a few very minor contraventions in any of the above will be tolerable for a 5 star rating. Star rating reduces for the number and or severity of contraventions at the time of the inspection.